We are at war! It is a bold statement to make in these troubled times, but it is a statement that must be profoundly accepted by the global community. Our opponent is no stranger to us, as humans have fought against it for a millennia. It is an opponent we can’t see, and it manages to evade our defenses and infect hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children across the globe.
COVID-19 is a big problem for mankind in the 21st century. We are fighting this virus on many active battlefronts. The United States, Italy, and China have been in the news cycle the most, due to their alarming increase in cases, and deaths, based on the virus. However, what about the rest of the world? Almost every country on Earth has cases of COVID-19, yet we are not given any information about many of them from the mainstream media. Here I will be examining how countries who have not entered the news are dealing with this dangerous crisis.
Mexico
Mexico has a population of about 130 million people, and yet only 316 people have been cited as infected with COVID-19. In order to reduce infection rates in the US from Mexico, President Trump has limited travel to and from Mexico, as well as further sealing the border. In Mexico, it is still business as usual. Kids are still going to school, citizens’ crowd street markets, which are still selling fresh fruit and vegetables, commuters are still packed together in subways, and cars and buses still roam the streets. Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) is in no rush to shut down the country. AMLO, a hardcore liberal, believes that all will be fine and believes that if the country shuts down, the poor people would be at a great disadvantage, and the economy would fall off a cliff. Experts are worried by this plan, but President Obrador is standing by it. He is even still attending mass rallies, shaking hands, and kissing babies! He claims
“If I come here wearing a mask, if that’s how the president is, how are the people going to be? “I have to keep the people’s spirits up.”
However, the country is more than prepared to handle things if worse comes to worst. The national budget is fully stocked, and the Mexican national guard is on standby when needed in order to set up makeshift hospitals, provide food, shelter, and water to Mexican citizens, and facilitate peace throughout communities.
India
India has the greatest human population in the world centered on 1.3 billion people! These people are spread out across the country in their cities, coastal villages, and deserts. One might expect that India would hit number one in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases, but that is not the case. India has a whopping 438 cases within it’s 3,214 KM border. That is just 0.000000336 percent of the population! India, however, is not taking any chances. Since the majority of its population live in cramped city slums, the virus could contagiously diffuse into the world’s largest population. Under the direction of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a lockdown is in place for all Indian citizens for 21 days. That means, unlike the United States, you can’t go out at all, even to exercise or get groceries. For a vast majority of Indian citizens, that means starving, for 21 days as many Indians live below the Poverty line. It could also be the final nail in the coffin for India’s weak economy. Those who do not follow this curfew are subject to increased penalties, such as heavy fines prison time, and even harsh beatings. Those who are essential for delivering goods to all parts of the country are issued “curfew passes' ' from the police in order to ensure a light flow of interstate commerce.
Algeria
Algeria has a population of 41.32 million people, and only 231 people are infected with COVID-19. Under President Tebboune, Algeria halted all international and domestic travel, (the only country to do this) closed all mosques and cafes and stayed home. Algeria’s government is deeply corrupt with the ruling elites, implementing policies that tend to make the poor poorer, and the rich richer. Normally in Algeria, there are protests against the corrupt government, with marches, rallies, and even riots. Up until this time, these protests lasted for 57 weeks, but now due to the COVID-19, everything is shut down. A ban on public gatherings has also been implemented, and the state government is working from home, for the time being.
My Message to Citizens of the World
Mankind has been fighting plagues ever since the start. Every time we fight a plague, we lose hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, and it feels apocalyptic. However, with all the plagues that we have faced, once it ends, one thing is clear: our resolve has never been stronger. Humans unite and learn from their mistakes, collectively, in order to ensure a long healthy life. In terms of the CoronaVirus, we may be at our lowest point, but in the end, once we beat this virus, the world will learn from these mistakes, in order to ensure history will not repeat itself. Let us not forget that we are all in this together as one human race. Wash your hands, practice social distancing, do the things you love to do, and most importantly stay safe. For the fate of the world is in the hands of nations alike. May God help us all.
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